Article by Jennifer Nesbit Holt
Photo Credit: Dasha & Mari
Magazine: Issue #29
If you’ve sought out self-help tools to re-align with your creative process, or quietly tracked the success of other designers, you have firsthand experience of the power creative flow has to not only engage and ignite a following, but also to produce better bodies of work to support a life of freedom and creativity you desire. There are many myths we tell ourselves as designers, not to mention a pile of mistakes.
Maybe you’ve even been one of those people who secretly feels you're not good enough because you didn't get your design education from the most elite school. You might even suffer from low self-esteem when it comes to thinking you can grow your design business to the next level. You know in your bones you are doing what you love (and your good at it) but you want in on the secrets of award winning designers.
So why does the idea of putting yourself first have you quaking in your boots?
Let me guess…
- You don’t mind a little grunt work, but you don't know how to grow a successful design business in such a saturated market.
- You love the idea of delivering high quality projects to more prestigious clients, but you bite your nails, second guessing if you're 'good enough'.
- You’ve got foolproof concepts in mind and you're tired of playing small .
Ready to unlock Pandora's box to release the blocks holding you back from being seen and heard as a designer?
Busy designers (like you) don’t have a SECOND to waste on activities that aren’t directly linked to profit. If you’ve ever tried creating a regular self-care routine before, you know that sinking feeling of guilt that you 'should' be in your creative zone rockin' out projects through to completion. (Ugh! It’s the worst, isn’t it?)
In my experience, I’ve found that four major myths are to blame for designer doubt and not feeling like your good enough. I’m going to debunk those myths for you, and show you how to replace them with truly simple, effective practices that will not only reward all your hard work, but have you doing kart wheels in the grass with excitement.
Myth #1: Creating is organic, easy and effortless.
Now this myth, for the most part, is not how we see ourselves as designers but how non-creatives view our process. Our work is always fun and our ideas flow abundantly. Sheesh!
Now there are some artists who do fall into this mindset but we call them amateurs (or egotistical ass-hats)! However, a word of caution...if you are seasoned in your career, you can slip back into this mindset when you start berating yourself for not being good enough. The more creative blocks pile up, the more you ask, “Why is this not easy anymore?” Boo hoo, boo hoo (been there).
Self-care must take priority and should be treated as a delicacy that you infuse into your day, EVERY day.
Specifically, my Creative Life Series includes holistic strategies designed for the hard working designer in mind. It also includes actionable components that you can use while you work! This is SO not about studying the best graphic design books.
And when everything lines up perfectly, your business grabs hold of a healthy and effective productive machine that acts as the backbone of your growing design business and gives you the opportunity to grow and soar at will.
Myth # 2: Every project you create should be perfect.
I hear ya, sweet thing! Designers are notorious for perfectionism because...well, it goes with the territory of getting a concept through to completion. Also, depending upon your field of design, it might even have to do with the safety of others.
But here is the thing....if you don't feed that nasty little critter called 'perfectionism', the flow of ideas comes easier and the stress starts to disappear. Imagine for a moment that you design in a peaceful state and not a reactionary-took-some-no-dozz state?
How? How can you be gentle on yourself, how can you stop nit picking every idea apart? I'll tell ya how... Just to name a few, some of the best sources of for self-care are things like yoga, mediation, sound healing (that's my fav), movement, etc... I want to encourage you to find something this week that helps take you out of the series-must-do-it-right mode and into some peace and serenity. Yes! This does require action...but you've already proven that you’re willing to put in effort–you just need the reassurance of knowing that every bit of energy you put into yourself IS for your business and will come back to you tenfold.
What you CAN’T afford to do is waste time and energy in perpetual “figure it out” mode.
Myth #3 – Designers must struggle, must suffer and always put the client first to be truly successful.
When you put self-care first you are able to communicate effectively through your work as well as to your clients. Concepts become fluid. You can not longer operate on the notion that hard work means misery. When you focus on your own sanity, you will attract the right clients and projects to enjoy your life with confidence and gumption!
Hint: You are a treasure trove of abundance and when you open the doors to more business abundance, you will know JUST what to do when things get shaky. (Scroll down to grab my freebie and discover exactly what I do to recover my footing)
Myth #4 – “What if I fail to produce or get stuck? Will my career will fall apart?”
False, false false! Self-awareness and Self-care strategies are a must if you are looking to grow your design business.
And if you’re reading this post RIGHT NOW, then you’re in a unique position to catch wind of this new strategic approach before anyone else in your niche does, and in doing so, claim your stake in the rich blue ocean of growing your business to the next level, and it's not about where you got your education.
So chances are that even if your competitors are already using these holistic strategies, you can gain a competitive advantage by being the FIRST to build a design business backed with full intention, creative flow and magnetic energy based on some of the proven techniques, and strategies that I’m about to share with you. Keep reading . . . now that you know the 4 designer's myths, I’ve created a DETAILED, free cheat sheet to help you with your first (or next!) step to finding your authentic design voice . . .
My wish for you is to sidestep the countless traps that make most designers burnout, and instead learn how to create a masterpiece called your own design biz.
